Cat's eye implants may help humans see.

• Position: Ophthalmology

In "Star Trek: The Next Generation," Geordi La Forge is a blind character who can see through the assistance of special implants. While the Star Trek character "lives" in the 24th century, people existing in the 21st century may not have to wait that long for this illuminating technology. Kristina Narfstrom, a University of Missouri, Columbia, veterinary ophthalmologist, has been working with a microchip implant to help blind animals "see." She indicates that the preliminary results are promising.

"About one in 3,500 people worldwide is affected with a hereditary disease, retinitis pigmentosa, that causes the death of retinal cells and, eventually, blindness.

"Our current study is aimed at determining safety issues in regard to the implants and to further develop surgical techniques," Narfstrom explains. "We also are examining the protection the implants might provide to the retinal cells that are dying due to disease progression with the hope that natural sight can be maintained much longer than would be possible in an untreated patient."

Narfstrom is involved primarily with Abyssinian and Persian cats that are affected with hereditary retinal blinding disease. The cat's eye is a good model to use for this type of research because it is very similar to a human eye in size and construction, so surgeons can utilize the same techniques and...